Meeting Notes

President Zach complimented Cory Lucius who recently was named Ambassador of the Quarter by the Greater Starkville Development Partnership

He reminded members that community organizations’ applications for service grants are due by May 31.

Members were reminded that volunteers are needed to help with the annual district foundation and membership conference on July 15-16.

Incoming officers and committee chairs were reminded of the annual leadership planning dinner on Monday evening.

Feeding America Backpacks

Susan Tomlinson accepted the club’s $250 donation for the Feeding America Backpack nutrition program. The effort started in 2012 with 32 students in the Starkville Schools District who did not have proper nutrition over weekends. In 2016, the program has grown to serving 240 students this year in six of the consolidated district schools. Tomlinson said plans are to move to SHS in the fall with this money and an award from the Starkville Restaurant Week fundraiser.

Proposed Member

Katherine Little has proposed Molly Jackson for membership. Jackson is an attorney associated with Moore Law Offices. Her member classification is Attorney – Real Estate.

RYE Alum Excels

Former Starkville Rotarian and Youth Exchange mom, Lynn Richardson, posted on Facebook that her son Davis is headed to China as a Peace Corps volunteer to teach English at a university. Davis was our Rotary Youth Exchange student to Italy in 2011-12. He graduated from the College of William and Mary on May 14.

Mentor Scholars—Recent high school graduates Morgan Gill of Starkville Academy and Juivian Cattledge of Starkville High join Ed Clynch, Mentor Scholarship Committee chair, after receiving this year’s $1,000 club scholarships to MSU. Gill will major in biological sciences with an emphasis in pre-physical therapy. Cattledge plans to major in architecture. A third recipient, Navin Solomon formerly of SHS and a MSMS graduate will major in aerospace engineering.

Historic MSU Architecture

May 16 — The 116-years-old Twin Towers or Industrial Education Building is the oldest structure now standing on Mississippi State University’s campus.

Twin Towers originally was the Textile Building, because it housed the short-lived Textile School. Due to poor enrollment, the school went out of business in 1914. The twin towers were to hang textiles, material and cloth for drying. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It currently houses Technology and Workforce Development.

One of the most legendary buildings was the Old Main Dormitory whose first phase in 1880 had a 250 bed capacity, post office, guard room, armory, library, museum, writing room, drafting room and oil room. By the time it burned in 1959, it had grown through three more phases.

Faculty housing built in the 1880s also housed administrative offices.

The second oldest building on campus is Montgomery Hall. Built in 1902, it also is on the National Register of Historic Places. Named for W.B. Montgomery, it originally was known as the Scientific Hall.

Also built in 1902 was George Hall, the campus infirmary. During the worldwide flu pandemic of 1918, 37 students died. There was a temporary community embalming operation in its basement.

The college cafeteria, built in 1921, features distinctive Gothic arches and wood beams more suggestive of a cathedral than a cafeteria. Modeled after a building at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, it was believed to be the largest college cafeteria in the nation. At 368 feet long and 90 feet wide, it seats 1,100.

Built in 1909 and named for the college’s first president, Lee Hall was first intended as an academic building and chapel. It became the main administration building, housing the president, secretary, registrar, comptroller and commandant of cadets.

From 1910 through 1940, Middleton Hall was the home of the Dairy Department and was known as the “dairy building.” In 1940, ROTC took over the building and shared it with the Famous Maroon Band until 1954. In 1986, it was named for Gen. Troy H. Middleton, 45th Division and 8th Corps commander. He also served as LSU president for ten years.